Kintaro Reborn!
by Midgar Merc
Summary: Kintaro Akechi, a former dueling prodigy, comes to a realization that he threw away a great thing in dueling. His life is a mess with alcohol being a daily release from a world he became seperated from. Discovering that his happiness may return in the for
1. Kintaro Reborn! Part 1

**Part I: Kintaro Reborn!**

A small apartment in downtown Domino City

The morning was uninviting. Crisp, cool, spring air stung Kintaro's lungs. Waking up with a start, he looked around. _Did I fall asleep again?_ He had been watching the Duelist Network, a new station dedicated to dueling and everything related to it. The blonde reporter on the screen was reading off the new restricted list, he had heard it a hundred times already. His short black hair offered no bed head as he stood up and looked into the mirror. A tall, built, and shaven man stared back. He wore a white sleeveless top and black jeans. Scratching his neck, Kintaro felt the silver chain around it. A memento from his father. A small sword pendant hung from it. _Always fight to the end, that was dad all right._ Walking towards the small kitchen, he looked down at the floor. Comic books, shirts, and a candy wrapper. _I gotta clean this place up._ Kintaro then stared at a small silver box on the counter. His dueling deck. It had undergone too many changes to remember. However, one thing remained. His love for the game. Ever since the end of his dueling days, around age 17, Kintaro had struggled in life. Finding a steady job had become a major problem.

After a shot of whiskey, he sat at the couch again. Kintaro had fallen into a hole in life. Once, he had been a duelist on the rise. He never felt he got much attention, but ever since Kaiba Corp. had started the International Dueling Circuit, he had wanted to participate. He had only been in the Tiger League, a league for duelists between the ages of 10 and 14. The younger duelists didn't get much attention, seeing as most of them were ignorant fools who copied professional's decks. With so many cards out there, there was almost no originality anymore. People just wanted to win to gain fame and money. Apparently, enjoying the game out of the question.

The IDC was simple. Pay the $50 entry fee, get the new Duel-Disk, and find someone to duel. You could bet or ante anything you wanted, the only thing that mattered was winning or losing. The new system of progressing was Dueling Credit. Each person had a small bag of six credits, small coins about the size of an American dime. If you were in the IDC, you had to wage at least two credits. _Three strikes and you're out._ At the end of each round (one month), a bracket was made to determine the winner of the round. The winner received a promo card and additional credit. The top duelists were always invited to the now annual Duelist Kingdom (now run by a new host seeing as Pegasus decided to disappear) and Battle City.

Kintaro had plans to join in the IDC until his father died. Then he fell off the map. The dizzy funk that the alcohol put Kintaro in separated him from reality and put him in a mood he enjoyed. Only twenty-two, Kintaro had much more in life ahead of him. _Heh, it's a little early to make getting wasted a routine._ _You're supposed to get a job first, remember? Then you'll have something to be upset about._ Staring at the screen, he watched duels in the city and out. People were getting sloppy and unoriginal. Ever since Chaos Monsters were released, great controversy had raged about whether or not they should be banned. It didn't bother Kintaro. It was just another strategy to overcome. Although he hadn't done it, Kintaro knew the exact deck to counter it and how to build it. He was just as skilled as his father. As the sun poured into the third floor apartment like a river and Kintaro slowly awoke more and more. Like a spring, Kintaro shot off of the couch he had been sleeping on. Looking at his watch (displaying 8:32 A.M.) Kintaro put on his red, short sleeved, button-down shirt and stared into the mirror floating on the wall again. He wandered around his apartment, looking for ways to pass the time.

Kintaro looked at a picture on the wall of his father. A jolly and very happy man who enjoyed life. _Until it was stolen from him._ He had cheered Kintaro in everything he had done. However, they both shared a common love for dueling. His father had once participated in the Battle City event. He almost made it to the finals if it hadn't been for several hooded freaks that stole his deck. Amazingly, the man who stole his deck returned it, claiming he had been under some kind of mind control. The recollection of events between him and his father encouraged Kintaro to pick up the deck on the counter. _Dad would never let me quit. What are you doing Kintaro? You've ruined yourself. Time to change._ Staring down at his father's signature card, The Unbreakable Warrior, Kintaro grabbed his one-shoulder knapsack and walked out the door.

- - -

The lobby of the Kaiba Corps Visitor Center was large, spacious, and very gray. Smooth lettering and plaques of the Kaiba family's achievements were everywhere, even a tall statue of Kaiba. _Just like Kaiba himself, an idiotic stiff and cold as fuck._ Ever since Kaiba had taken over card manufacturing and distribution, the game had been different. Kaiba himself though, found new greed, keeping rare cards to himself. Kintaro decided that he would come out of the shadows, find new joy in this game, and gain a title he deserved. Duelist King. As he approached the counter (the lobby was surprisingly absent) the guy there stirred, as if he had been asleep. Slapping fifty bucks onto the table, Kintaro said,

"All right, I'm in, get me a Duel Disk."

The suit stared at Kintaro but seemed to ignore his rudeness. He handed Kintaro an application, took the fifty, and stuffed it in his pocket. After filling out the short paper, the suit said,

"What's your rarest card?" The man said in a tone that spoke more like 'get me out of here'.

Kintaro smiled and said "The Lonely Sniper."

As if it were a disease spreading, several of the other suits that were being "productive" sniggered and laughed between themselves. A few of them sat up from a table where they had been playing cards.

"How about we give you the disk, and you show us the card?" The suit to his left said.

The one at the counter then pressed a button that obviously locked the front doors. Feeling a bit tense, Kintaro looked around. _There's one in the front, two on the left, one behind me._ It was fairly obvious that the guards wanted more than a simple gawk at Kintaro's card. Kintaro wouldn't have been surprised if Kaiba had given the guards authority to confiscate cards. _Prick._

"Hey there take it easy, we just want to see a duel" the Kaiba Corps grunt said in his low, dull voice.

"And which one of you apes wants to dance?" Kintaro said loosening up. Now they were getting uptight.

"I'll take you on. Prepare ta duel!" Said a large man standing behind the others.

**DUEL 1: APE VS. KINTARO**

He slid on a slightly larger Duel Disk. "If you lose, I get that Sniper card of yours!" He said in his ape-ish tone.

"Sure, if you agree to give me your deck when I win," Kintaro said smoothly.

"Hmph, have it your way," the suit huffed.

He was a stout man with an ape-ish appearance. Long arms and a sloping back were his most dominant traits. The disks slid apart into their dueling frame modes and made a small click, indicating a deck wait light. They both slipped in their decks and watched as the hologram ports shot out little whirring discs that glowed a rainbow light.

"Since I'm the challenger, I'll go first. I summon Battle Ox in attack mode! Then I'll place one card down and end my turn," Ape, as he started calling him, finished.

"Wow, I'm impressed. I didn't know they taught grunts how to play cards. What's next? Eating with a fork?" Kintaro smirked.

If he was going to be forced into a battle, he was going to enjoy it as much as he could.

"I'll place two face down magic and traps, one face down monster, and end my turn." Kintaro was very calm for a man living day by day.

"That's it? What a joke! I Summon Gemini Elf! My Battle Ox, attack!" He roared.

A small round gray ball appeared hovering over Kintaro's face down monster. As Battle Ox slashed it, it shattered into thousands of pieces. However, the pieces quickly formed two more small orbs on the field.

"What's this trickery? You know cheating is forbidden!" He said calmer than before.

"And you should know that Kaiba Corps has an anti-cheating control center that instantly deactivates any disc showing signs of illegal play, but I'm sure you knew that. Actually, I played a card called Polymorph. When it's destroyed, I get two Polymorph tokens that each have 1900 defense. Only downside is they have no attack." Kintaro said.

"You . . . fine. I end my turn." Ape completed.

"Good, now I'll draw. I play Pot of Greed to draw two new cards. Then I'll play Graceful Charity to draw three and discard two. I discard two-"

"Yeah, yeah get going already," Ape interrupted, obviously upset.

"Fine, I'll set one face down m/t card. Then I'll set one more monster. You may go," Kintaro replied.

"All right, let's get this party started." Ape said as he drew.

_He's playing defense, he may be up to something. However, he seems like he's trying to play it cool_ Ape thought.

"I activate my facedown card, United We Stand! Beef up my Ox by 1600 points! Then I'll play Defense Shatter! It changes one of your tokens into attack mode!" Ape shouted.

The little gray ball then straightened out and grew a tiny sword where its arm would have been.

"Destroy his Polymorph!" In a flash, thousands of little gray shards were scattered.

K: 600

A: 4000

"HAHA! Not so tough are you punk?" Ape shouted.

"Heheheheh . . . " Kintaro laughed.

"What are you laughing at boy?" Ape said.

"It's just pathetic to watch someone duel who's so sure they're going to win when the other player knows that his opponent is going to get pummeled just as quickly," Kintaro said smoothly.

"Huh, we'll just see about that. Go. I end my turn." Ape finished.

"I draw. Then I activate a little doosey I like to call, Dawn of The Dead. It lets me summon two creatures from my graveyard after I've taken more than 3000LP in a turn. Now I'll summon the two creatures I discarded. The two you decided to ignore. I special summon . . . Unbreakable Warrior and Lonely Sniper!"

As Kintaro spoke the words, a tall grave rose from the tile floor that the two had been dueling over. Two shapes rose. One was a tall shadowy man with a dark trench coat, Indiana hat, and a rugged complexion. His face was covered in stubble and sported the look of a lost man, a poet even. Sprouting from the sides of his hat was mangled, matted, and gnarled black hair. Kind of like a character in one of Kintaro's favorite mangas. The man also had a thin, long, and shining rifle. Quickly, he crouched over. The next creature was a scary sight, an eight-foot tall man with an amazing physique. He wore a red and black battle garb that looked like a long dress with a split down the middle. His chest was covered in tattoos and battle scars. He carried a giant sword that looked like a giant butcher knife.

"Are you convinced? Your duel ends here! Now I play Raigeki to clear your field!" A bolt of lightning shot from the high ceiling. It struck the Ox and the Gemini Elves into oblivion. "ATTACK! Finish off this oaf! Go my soldiers!"

The Unbreakable Warrior ran at full charge and swung his giant blade. A large slash noise and Ape fell to one knee. One of Kaiba's new modifications to the Duel Disk System was the shock system. Depending on how big a hit you took, the recipient of the damage received a shock of electricity (Just enough to really jolt you). After the warrior attacked, in less than the blink of an eye, the sniper pulled the trigger on his rifle, which smacked into Ape's chest, knocking him to the floor.

**FINAL: **

**K: 600**

**A:0**

**KINTARO WINS**

"Had enough?" Kintaro said retracting the Holo-discs into his new Duel Disk.

_He walked me right into a false sense of security_ Ape thought. "I . . . I know you from somewhere," Ape said pointing at Kintaro. He slowly got up and retracted his discs as well.

"Give me your deck. I could use it to ante up some cards," Kintaro said as if punishing the suit for challenging him. After Ape handed him the deck, Kintaro flashed a smug grin.

"Nice playing with you boys. I've got bigger fish to fry. Oh, and lay off the fast food, it's leaking out your face," Kintaro said.

"You take your breathing self outta here before we decide to do something about it!" Ape threatened.

As Kintaro took his ID card from the goon behind the counter, he slipped it into the side of his disk. A picture flashed on the tiny screen on top of the Duel Disk. (Looking good) He chuckled to himself. One last stare and he walked out through the now unlocked swinging doors.

"I know where I saw him now," Ape said to the other guards, still standing in awe of how fast Kintaro beat and outwitted him. "He won the Tiger Rank Division all five years in a row. He was the dueling prodigy that went by the name Riot because of his dueling tactics." Ape finished.

"Riot" All the other guards replied in unison. "No wonder. Anyone else in Kaiba's family should be just as good as the boss himself."


	2. Kintaro Reborn! Part 2

As Kintaro wandered down the street, he couldn't help but notice all the other duelists. In the IDC, there was no age limit. You entered on your own behalf. Of course there were separate leagues if you preferred to duel others your age. Little kids rarely joined the IDC because older duelists would just push them around and take the credits, sometimes cards. _Bunch of punks. I could take on all of 'em._ Walking down the corner of 1st and Charles Street, Kintaro looked out to the bay. It was beautiful this time of year. The water sparkled like a new car. The ocean was smooth and serene, reflecting the noontime sun.

"Ah, if it is Kintaro Akechi, the dueling prodigy,"

A stout person behind him said. Kintaro turned and looked, trying not to laugh. He was at least a foot shorter than Kintaro, had a black trench coat, and round sunglasses. 

"You've got to be kidding me," Kintaro chuckled. 

"You fell out of sight after your final win against Weevil in the last tiger round. How could you just turn your back on dueling? Now you have the nerve to come back," The small kid said.

"Shouldn't you be in the half-pint league?" Kintaro said.

"Very funny. I am the king of the dueling ocean! How dare you doubt my skills! I may only be thirteen, but I have credibility. My name is Masamune Baba, and I challenge Kintaro Akechi to a duel!" He finished, pointing at Kintaro.

"Hm, well, I appreciate your enthusiasm. Although the credibility you speak of may be too premature. I've seen you duel, and your record is only 7-4. But if you want to lose your credits that fast, I'll be glad to relieve you of them," Kintaro said smoothly.

"Not so fast, I make the arrangements. Three hours from now, meet me back here. I have yet to finish perfecting my water deck," Baba said. 

"Heh, you challenge and delay. What a strategy. You hope that I'll duel someone else so you can obtain a strategy to defeat me because you still have an underlying fear that I may still be good as I once was," Kintaro explained.

Baba was silent, as if Kintaro had predicted his plan. "If your not here at four, I'll let everyone know what a coward you are," Baba said.

"Then I'll get more challenges, more cards, more credits, and my old reputation back. The more lambs to the slaughter, the better." Kintaro replied. With that, Baba left. _People these days._

One hour had passed. Kintaro had almost forgot. He was walking along the sidewalk, along a popular dueling strip. Looking at the cards in the shops. Most of them weren't so great. One caught his eye though. _Hmm, a Scapegoat, huh? I could use one._

"How much for Scapegoat?" Kintaro asked.

"Five dollars." The tall shopkeeper said.

Pulling the bill out of his wallet, Kintaro took the card in its hard sleeve.

"Thanks," He said and walked farther down the strip

Pondering what he should do next, he noticed some kids in the park. Two little ones around twelve being picked on by a few others who looked around eighteen (even though they were almost the same height). All of them had duel disks. Kintaro was about to walk away when he saw one of the two older ones punch the two smaller ones. Normally, Kintaro didn't get into other people's business, unless it was something he felt. Kintaro's childhood was full of teasing and nagging from others, so he couldn't stand it when he saw others in his position.

"Back off you bunch of punks," Kintaro said walking into the park.

"Buzz off man. This hood is ours. You wanna do sumtin' aboudit?" The short black kid said.

"What if I do? Tell you what. I'll duel either one of you. If I win, you high tail it out of here," Kintaro said.

"You think you're gonna win? Listen to dis kid. He thinks he can take me man." He said to his white buddy. "How bout dis, I'll bet my deck if you bet yours," he said.

"Then let's duel, I'll stomp you flat into the ground," Kintaro said sliding his deck in.

**4000-4000 Kintaro Vs. Damian Bonderlos**

"I'll go first. I'll play Pot of Greed and draw two cards. Then I'll play Graceful Charity. Draw three cards and discard two. I discard Polymorph and Dawn of the Dead," Kintaro said. "Then I'll summon Reflector Moki! I'll then set two more magic and trap cards face down and end my turn."

"My turn. I dunno whature thinkin' playing such a stoopid creature, but I'll take care of it. I summon Goblin Attack Force, attack!" He said.

A pair of pattern covered cylinders appeared in front of the little silver marshmallow creature that Kintaro summoned. Goblin Attack Force's attack was redirected at Damian who squinted and fell to his knees with an electric shock.

"I activated Magic Cylinder. You can take all that damage." Kintaro said.

**4000-1700 **  
"Damnit!" Damian said. _Well, I'll just hafta counter his next move den. Mirror Force should do tha trick._ "I end my turn after playing one card face down.

"My turn. Hah, I knew this would end fast. I play Snatch Steal! I'll take your Goblins thank you. Next I'll tribute the two for The Unbreakable Warrior. He'll easily overwhelm you," Kintaro said as the familiar warrior creature appeared. 

_He doesn't even know dat I'm gonna blow away his creature in seconds. Dis'll be awesome!_

Suddenly, a screech pierced the afternoon cool. A Harpy Lady appeared from the sky with huge feathered wings. It swooped down in front of Damian and wiped away his Mirror Force.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to underestimate anyone? You are. I can easily tell that. Attack my warrior, shatter him!" Kintaro shouted.

The tall barbarian ran at full speed and swung his monstrous knife. A shocking noise arose and Damian fell flat on his face.

**4000 - 0 Winner: Kintaro**

"I'll take that deck." Kintaro said snatching the deck from a stunned Damian. "Is this yours?" Kintaro said to the two younger kids.

"Yeah. He stole it from me and threatened to beat up my brother unless he gave them his deck as well." The kid said.

Kintaro handed him the deck and the credits that were with it. He said nothing more as he walked away.

_Ooh, the pure knight Kintaro, helping the needy and protecting the weak._ He thought. It gave him some kind of neat feeling to help those who he felt needed it.

Two minutes. Kintaro had done nothing else the entire day but watch others duel. _It's always better to watch first._ Then, as he approached the docks near the bay, a strange feeling overcame him. _My spider sense is tingling._ He couldn't help it. Being more serious, he looked around as he came nearer to the loading area.

"I've been expecting you." Baba said from behind. As soon as he had spoken those words, Kintaro was surrounded.

Kintaro slipped his deck into the slot.

"Alright, let's dance."


	3. Kintaro Reborn! Part 3

As Kintaro steadied himself, he looked around. Goons on every side, wearing the same trench coats and glasses. Baba had a blue water droplet-shaped badge. Even though he was shorter than Kintaro, Baba had a presence that made Kintaro uneasy. _Probably because he has about six bigger guys built like freight cars working for him. He has to have some dueling prowess to get this much help._

"So have you prepared? I have been waiting." Baba said with his duel disk set as well.

Baba motioned to his followers. They pointed Kintaro the edge of a large loading dock. Baba walked down to the edge of another dock parallel to Kintaro's. Now the two opponents were staring at each other, about 40 yards away. Suddenly, the 4x4 portion of the dock that they were each standing on detached from the docks original locations. The tiny docks floated out a bit and stopped, 40 yards across from each other.

"Bring it on short stack." Kintaro said.

**4000 - 4000 Kintaro Vs. Masamune Baba**

Now standing on small raft like dock, Kintaro saw what Baba was getting at. By luring him out into the bay itself, Baba's sea creatures would gain a field power bonus.

"I can see right through your plan. Don't think it will work on someone like me." Kintaro said drawing his five cards.

"Oh you do, do you? Well, then lets get this started and you can find out," Baba said taking his sixth card. "I'll play one card face down and play the magic card Atlantis!"

Just then, a giant stone city rose out of the sea behind Baba. It's worn down towers and bridges were as real as they could be.

"Then I summon The Legendary Fisherman through the power of Atlantis!" Baba said as a pillar of water shot up in front of him. A Blue haired warrior with spear in hand appeared. "I end my turn."

"This should be fairly simple. I draw. First I'll play Delinquent Duo!" Kintaro said laying down the card.

Two little demon twins appeared in front of Baba.

"Discard the one on the left!" Kintaro shouted.

The blue one tapped one card and the other tapped another. The two cards were sent straight to the graveyard. Another Atlantis card and a Giga Gigagio now resided in the graveyard.

"You still have to pay 1000 Life points!" Baba shouted.

"I know that you dolt. Next I'll play one card face down and summon Berserker Fiend!" Kintaro said laying down a card.

Just then, a tall skeletal beast appeared on the field. It appeared to be an undead demon with a massive Voulge over its right shoulder.

"Is that all you can conjure up? So be it." Baba said.

"That will be it for now, I end." Kintaro said.

Kintaro knew that he could have damaged Baba's life points, but he wanted to see what kind of a duelist Baba was. As Baba drew his next card, a thunderous roar was heard. Distant across the ocean, a storm was brewing. Judging by the looks of it, Kintaro could tell it was headed this way.

"Excellent, a little storm to make the perfect atmosphere. I'll set one card and summon Terrorking Salmon! Fisherman to defense mode. Attack my Salmon King!" Baba rushed.

"Only a first tier duelist would think through his moves like you do. However, a smart duelist thinks about his moves. I activate Mirror Force!" Kintaro said.

A ray of multi-colored light shot out at the raging fish. It twisted and contorted until the beam of light obliterated it.

_He's a whole lot tougher than I thought. I'll never beat him. Time to go with plan B._

Baba stared at his goons on shore and then at Kintaro. Reaching under his robes, he pressed a button on a small keypad strapped to his chest. Two pairs of cuffs pounced on Kintaro's feet and ankles from the small platform he stood on.

"What the hell are you trying to pull? You goddamn cheat!" Kintaro yelled as he pulled at his restraints.

"I didn't want to do this, but I have no choice. Kintaro Akechi ends here. You are my only challenge. I must get rid of you in any way possible." Baba said. The storm was now overhead. Rain started to pour and thunder began to crash.

Kintaro almost screeched. The small platform he stood on started to sink. _He's going to fucking drown me!_ Now Kintaro struggled more than ever to release himself. Up to his waist in chilling seawater, the duel disks had retracted. As Kintaro lifted his duel disk from the water, a hand snatched it from his wrist. Barely noticing the chopper above him because of the immense thunder and lightning, Kintaro saw that the goons were flying the copter and that Masamune Baba was now on the original dock. "Give that back you bunch of creeps. Taking the deck, the goons chucked his disk far onto the docks.

"You psychopath! Get me out of here! Do you know who will come after you if they find me dead?" Kintaro shouted as loud as he could.

The half-submerged platform was now returning to its original dock. Kintaro's head was only five inches above the dock. Baba stood over Kintaro, holding Kintaro's deck. As the rain pounded down, and the roar of the clouds persisted, Kintaro looked at Baba with the utmost seriousness.

"I am Kintaro Akechi Kaiba, and I promise you that I'll be your grim reaper you sick freak! It'll be a bright day when I bury you six feet!" Kintaro yelled.

"Very, very touching Mr. Kaiba. However, if I'm not mistaken, THE Kaiba doesn't even care about your existence. To him, you're just Gozoburo's nephew, a speck on the plaque of Kaiba's legacy. We'll see if I get even so much as a dueling penalty for my actions." Baba said.

Baba pulled himself back into the chopper and smiled. Then he reached into his coat and smiled one last time. Kintaro then sunk down. Staring with blurry vision and a breath of air held captive in his mouth like prisoner. The platform then stopped, six feet deep. Almost like the platform had been toying with him it had stopped at a height where Kintaro's nose was but an inch from the rippling surface.

Consciousness fading, Kintaro drifted into a cosmic state of mind. No feeling, just being. _I'm dead, I have to be._ Expecting his life to be flashing in front of his eyes, Kintaro awoke with a start.

Pondering, he looked up at the bright blue sky. The rain and clouds had been gone for a while. Water still clung to his body like his own skin. Breathing heavily, Kintaro looked around. He was still at the dock, still inhabited with crates of cargo. He sat up and looked around yet again. A woman in a wetsuit stared at him from a distance; she stood next to an SUV. Aside from being alive, the first thing that startled him was the necklace he was wearing. He had been wearing the pewter sword pendant for a while, but it was different now. The sword was now colored and bright. The blade was shimmering silver and the tang a shiny black with gold filigreed. The handle was now in a wave shape.

Kintaro got to his feet and realized something. _My deck!_ As he reached into the silver box on the side of his belt, he felt like he would pass out again. Empty. Wet, but empty was the box that once carried his beloved deck. _I must of lost all of them to the ocean. No, wait . . . that heartless bastard took them!_

"Excuse me sir, are you all right?" The woman said.

She was a bit shorter than Kintaro, but she was beautiful. A smoothly shaped body and straight, silky, red hair. The wet suit complimented her figure perfectly. Kintaro was good at fooling people when it came to his feelings, he had to be.

"Yeah I'm cool. Just a little wet, I must have slipped on the dock." Kintaro said walking to her left.

"Well . . . do you need anything? You just appeared out of the water like you had been in their for hours. I had been diving for the past four and I was about to leave until I saw you." She said.

". . . Four hours? Well, to make a long story short, I'm alive and pissed. Now I need to go so nice meeting you and good-bye." Kintaro said.

_I played that one pretty good._ Kintaro thought smoothly.

"Hey macho, I found this under the dock." She said frustrated. Her voice was a little bit more of a deeper tone now.

Kintaro looked in disbelief. It was a card he hadn't seen in ten years. The White Paladin. Kintaro's father's favorite and rarest card. It also happened to be number six on the all time rarity list. You had a better chance of getting hit by a meteor and struck by lightning while holding a winning lottery ticket.

". . . Th-th-thank you." Kintaro said snatching the card from her grip. 

"I found it just floating through the water. I figured it was rare because it's completely mint! The water did no damage to it." She said.

"Y-yeah. That's odd. This was my father's card, but he died a decade ago and never told me what he did with it." Kintaro said calming down.

"I'm Chi, and you're Kintaro Kaiba." Chi said.

"So Chi, how do you know who I am?" Kintaro questioned while straightening his shirt.

"It said your name on the I.D. tag on this duel disk. I don't know what happened, but by the looks of you, I'd say you've been panicked for a little while. And you look similar to Kaiba." Chi said looking at the duel disk.

"Yeah, nearly dying can do that to someone. And I don't look a thing like that asshole." Kintaro said coldly.

Kintaro took the duel disk but didn't put it on. He had no deck to put it in anyways. Then Kintaro looked over at the car Chi had been standing at before she rushed over to him. There was a change of clothes next to a duel disk.

"So what kind of deck do you use?" Kintaro asked.

"What? I don't duel!" Chi said.

"Then who's Disk did you swipe?" Kintaro said looking towards the truck.

Chi blushed a bit and then looked at her feet. Looking back at the SUV, and then Kintaro, she spoke.

"It's only a hobby. Most girls my age are more interested in clothes and makeup. Sure I like that stuff, but I love the challenge of Duel Monsters. It makes me feel like a nerd." Chi said blushing still.

"Well you're the best looking nerd I've seen in awhile." Kintaro said walking away.

Blushing even harder now, Chi felt the flitter of butterflies in her stomach.

Kintaro knew he needed to remake his deck. It was going to be hard after losing all those cards. He still couldn't help but remember his childhood, watching his father duel with one of the greatest Warrior Decks of all time. 

He remembered seeing the White Paladin many times. Always striking down his father's opponents. Then one night, a group of men in cloaks broke into the house, looking for his father. They stole his father from his own home. Kintaro ran though the dark roads, screaming and following the men. He saw them take his father into an alleyway, and shoot him. The lead "hunter" then took his father's deck and pushed Kintaro against the alley wall (Kintaro had ran at him). Just before his father died, he had said to Kintaro, "Be strong . . . always fight to the end. I love you . . . son. Cough, cough D-Don't, for . . . get that."

_Walking down memory lane again?_ Kintaro thought harshly. He knew his father never kept that card in his deck unless he was dueling, so it seemed like destiny that it would return to Kintaro. "Time to climb the dueling ladder . . . again."


	4. Kintaro Reborn! Part 4

**IDC BASE RULES**

Entry Fee: $50.00  
Entry Package includes: Duel-Disk and ID Card

PROCEDURES  
You can bet or ante anything you want, the only thing that matters is winning or losing. The new system of progressing is Dueling Credit. Each person will receive a small bag of six credits, small coins about the size of an American dime. You have to wage at least two credits in an official duel. At the end of each round (one month), a bracket is made to determine the winner of the round. The winner receives a promo card and 10 additional credits. The top duelists will be invited to the now annual Duelist Kingdom (now run by Duke Devlin) and Battle City.

Kintaro sat at his favorite restaurant, a fast-food place called Quik Chicken while looking through his suitcase. The suitcase he had was a new prototype that had numerous ways of storing cards. He had returned home to get it. Several deck holders and an album of pages for displaying cards built right into it. He had been sent one from Kaiba Corp. because of his relation to Kaiba. _I didn't ask for it, but hey. Besides, it was probably Mokuba who sent it._ Kintaro had only met Mokuba once, but he seemed to treat Kintaro like a brother. Kaiba couldn't care less about someone related to Gozoburo. However, Mokuba told him that if he ever needed anything to give them a call. _Good kid, bad influence._

He sat on one of the tables outside, staring at his white paladin card. Because of its extreme rarity, it was a white card instead of the usual shade of brown that other effect cards had. He couldn't remember it's effect in full, but he remembered that whenever it had hit the field in his father's duels, it was the end of the game for his opponents. Kintaro remembered many a duelist staring up at the massive knight in glowing white armor that resembled a diamond statue more than a paladin.

"So what does it do anyways?" A cheery voice said from the sidewalk behind him.

"Why are you following me?" Kintaro said.

"I am a duelist you know. That card is very intriguing. I've actually heard stories of it." Chi said.

". . . I'm not completely sure, but it was my father's. It still amazes me that this card found it's way to me. Why didn't you just take it?" Kintaro asked.

"I don't steal. Not to mention, I wouldn't want someone taking a memento of my family from me either." Chi said now sitting at the table with Kintaro.

Kintaro took a bite out of his chicken sandwich and a sip of his soda and rifled through his suitcase. Chi stared in disbelief as she saw many rare cards that Kintaro didn't even seem to notice.

"Where did you get all those?" She said staring.

As Kintaro turned to her, he had just realized that she wasn't wearing the wetsuit anymore. _Too bad, however she's not looking too bad now either. _Chi now wore a small, black, short sleeve, IDC tee. She also wore her silk red hair in a high-rise ponytail, but two large tails of hair hung down the sides of her face. Lastly, she had a pair of skin-tight jean shorts down to her knees. _Damn she's hot._ Kintaro thought while another side of him responded. _Easy tiger_.

"Almost all of these are my father's. I inherited them years ago. I didn't want to use them because . . . well, I kind of fell out of dueling for a while. Earlier I decided I'd need them to make my deck over again." Kintaro explained.

"I see. Well at least you have a steady build of cards in your reserves. I have nothing but the cards in my deck. I've been playing in secret for years." Chi said blushing once more.

"Why do you care?" Kintaro questioned.

"Why do I care about what?" Chi said surprised.

"What other people think? So what if other Barbie-girls don't think you're trendy. They're all phony anyways. If it's what you like, then run with it." Kintaro said after taking a big bite out his sandwich.

"Well . . . I . . . I don't know." Chi said. She looked like she had just come to a realization.

"Better yet why do you care about me?" Kintaro said taking yet another bite, reducing the sandwich to a small portion. Now she blushed a little more. After a few deep breaths though, she straightened up and stared him in the eyes.

"Kintaro, well . . . You're my opposite. You're in such a different league and . . . well I'm just normal. You're not afraid of who you are, and that's really cool. I . . . I just can't seem to do that." She finished.

"Heh, I've been back into dueling for a day and I already have a number one fan." Kintaro said.

"To be honest, I don't know what you want me to say. I think you're beautiful. I would have never thought you were a duelist. Most people consider me cold and heartless like Kaiba. I may be cold, but I'm not heartless." Kintaro said sturdily.

"But it is very nice to know that I have someone rooting for me." Kintaro said.

"Don't get me wrong, I still intend to duel you to my fullest." Chi said playfully.

"You want to duel? You pour your heart out so you can get me to duel you?" Kintaro said bewildered. 

"No that was straight from my heart. However I was in the tiger league when you were as well. I always wanted to duel you but you were way out of my range. You were beating people down left and right. I had no chance of getting anywhere near you." Chi said.

"Tell you what. Let me finish my lunch and deck, then I'll duel you. It'll take me only a few minutes." Kintaro said, now filled with anticipation.

"Sounds like a deal. I'll wait at the Okawa Fountain for you. See you there!" Chi said standing up and grabbing her backpack. She walked away and waved daintily with her fingers.

_Wow_. Kintaro thought. _She is something else. If anything, I'm not worthy of her._

Kintaro now sat at the table with his cards spread out. Several other duelists were staring. Kintaro knew it was time. He looked down at the White Paladin card. He would rebuild his father's deck and add his touch to it. Folding his suitcase up, he smiled. Now I remember where I know her from. _She's that duelist from the IDC two years ago who seduced her opponents and played innocent until she got them to duel. It's said that her deck was so fierce that the duelists she faced wouldn't speak. I can play that game, too._

Walking up to the fountain, he saw her walking around a statue of Kaiba near it. Calm and collected, Kintaro had his plan in full swing.

"I decided that I'd duel you. Under one condition: I want us to duel on top of the World Mall Tower. There will be a good view." Chi said excitedly.

_Just like I knew she would. A secluded location that won't show off her strategy. It may be high up but I've got the edge in this one._

"Sounds fun. Let's go." Kintaro said smoothly.

Soon enough, they were on top of the breezy twenty-story high mall tower. Chi played the part real well. She jogged around the roof area like a leaf in the breeze. Like a little girl, she played with wind and acted like she enjoyed it. Maybe she did, but Kintaro knew this strategy of hers.

"Well, let's dance." Kintaro said as he put his deck in place and started the initiation sequence on the Duel Disk.

As she started her Duel Disk, her face changed. She seemed much more serious than she had before. She then ran back to the door and locked it with a key she had in her pocket.

"HAHAHA! You've fallen right into my grasp. We will duel for all our credits!" She shouted.

"Heheheh, I knew it would come to this. I've seen this before. Go ahead and try to scare me. Don't forget, I'm Kintaro Kaiba. I'm fearless. I knew that you would try this cowardly trick, trapping me up here. What a pathetic way to get challenges. Try Weevil Underwood. He loves a good, cheap opponent." Kintaro said pumping himself up.

"I'll ante you all I have. My suitcase, my deck, and all 8 of my credits (he had gained two from that punk kid)," Kintaro said.

"Hmph, well I can see you remember me. I won't show you any mercy!" Chi said.


	5. Kintaro Reborn! Part 5

Kintaro (8000) Vs. Chi (8000)

Kintaro still couldn't believe how she played people like she tried him. Kintaro never had a true lesson in loving someone, but he had his admirers through high school.

"If you really want a challenge from someone at your rank, try the elementary school down the street because l play hardball." Kintaro said.

"Enough. I'll go first." Chi said.

Chi rifled through her hand, as if she had nothing to do. Looking a bit flushed, she made her move.

"I'll set one card facedown, set one monster, and end my turn." Chi said.

"A typical opening maneuver." Kintaro said drawing his sixth card.

_Well, I'm unaware of her strategy, but it must be swift and powerful or else she wouldn't have such a reputation. I'll have to tear her apart fast._

"I'll play the magic card, Reinforcement of the Army! I'll take one level four or lower warrior from my deck and add it to my hand. Next, I'll set one card and summon Sasuke Samurai! Attack the facedown creature!" Kintaro commanded.

The stout little samurai with his misshaped head darted out at Chi's monster and slashed it to pieces without the creature even appearing.

"The card you destroyed was Morphing Jar. A slight drawback." Chi said smugly.

"After that I'll end my turn." Kintaro finished.

"Then I draw . . . I guess I'll just summon Archfiend Soldier and attack that wimpy samurai of yours! Dark flame!" Chi shouted, her eyes showing the intent to kill.

"Activate Drain Shield!" Kintaro shouted.

A large humanoid demon appeared and fired a black missile of fire at the short samurai. A heavy metal shield then manifested onto the field and drained the attack. Kintaro's life points then rose.

Kintaro 9900 - Chi 8000

"Thanks." Kintaro said smiling. "You think I would leave such a useful monster unprotected?"

"Then I shall set one more card facedown and end my turn." Chi said.

_Hmm, she has two magic or traps and only a simple 1900 monster on the field. She's probably got nothing, but I better play it safe. _

"I activate Ghostly Wind! At a cost of 500LP each, I can destroy a number of your magic and trap cards. I shall pay 1000 LP to destroy both of them!" Kintaro said.

Two floating skeletal figures with scythes appeared in the air above Chi. They fell fast and slashed the two cards to pieces.

Kintaro - 8900 Chi - 8000

"Damnit! Hmph . . . you destroyed my Call of The Haunted and Archfiend's roar." Chi said angrily.

"Then I'll summon Goblin Attack Force! Attack the Archfiend Soldier!" Kintaro said.

A large troop of evil goblins appeared on the field. They ran at full speed with their spiked clubs raised and trampled the helpless Archfiend.

K 8900 - C 7600

"After that, I'll lay one card facedown and end my turn." Kintaro declared.

Chi drew her card. Obviously furious over her first two moves, she took a breath and calmed herself. As she drew her next card, she bared an evil grin. Her eyes darted upwards and stared at Kintaro.

"This card will certainly aid in my strategy. I summon the Warrior of Zera. Then I play the field card Pandemonium!" Chi shouted.

First, a lightly armored warrior with a blade of demon's bane appeared on the field. He looked uncertain of his surroundings. He looked even more uncertain as a monstrous, dark, and tainted castle rose out from behind Chi. The castle's eerie green glow almost darkened the blue sky itself. As the clouds of darkness overcame her field, the Warrior of Zera looked frightened.

"Then I'll use the power of Pandemonium to transform my Zera Warrior into Mazzera DeVille!"

The Warrior then broke into violent convulsions and fell over. Two large dark hands reached down and picked up the warrior and brought him all the way back into the castle behind Chi. In a brief flash and an explosion, an evil creature dove back to the place where Zera once stood. DeVille looked like Zera, only taller and darker. He now sported massive black wings and an evil distorted face.

"Behold my ultimate creature! Also, when he is special summoned, you must discard 3 cards from your hand!" Chi laughed. "However, you only have two, so they'll have to do!" Chi laughed even more.

As Kintaro dropped his cards, he smiled. As soon as the second card hit the graveyard, a large grave rose from Kintaro's side of the field. A transparent figure rose from the grave. It was only a shadow, but it was crimson and spiny with evil yellow eyes.

"I special summon Despair From The Dark!" Kintaro said. "My zombie creature gets summoned through a discard effect that you activate. In this case, I thank your Mazzera for helping me." Kintaro finished. 

"A slight bug in my plan. Mazzera, attack his samurai!" Chi commanded.

_Crap! I forgot! How stupid are you Kintaro?_ He thought.

A large, dark explosion and then dust settled. Sasuke samurai had been destroyed. Feeling the damage, Kintaro winced in pain from the electric shock.

K 6600 - C 7600

"You're monsters duel like you live your life, slow and sloppy. Apparently you still haven't learned how duel again. I'll set my last card and end my turn." Chi said.

Kintaro looked down at his deck and couldn't help but take a deep breath. I need a miracle. Kintaro drew his next card.

There was now a helicopter hovering over the duel. _A Telecopter. They're probably showing this all over town now. Welcome back to the limelight Mr. Kintaro._

"I hope you enjoy your last cards. Because I'm already planning on what to do with the cards and fame I'm going to gain. Moreover, I'm going to gladly destroy that card your father gave you. Judging by your spirit, I'd say your father died rather quickly." Chi bragged.

Now Kintaro was furious. _Who is she to talk about my father?_ He had lost all feelings he ever had towards her.

"How dare you speak of my father like that! You miserable tramp! I hope you can take the heat, because I'm going to blow you away like the flake you are. I activate the magic card Pot of Greed! I draw two new cards!" Kintaro said as two cards spit out of the duel disk.

Kintaro looked at the first one. His face brightened. He drew the next one and couldn't believe it. _My father is with me, and this proves it._

"BEHOLD! I tribute my Goblin Attack Force for . . . THE WHITE PALADIN!" Kintaro yelled.

As he placed the card down upon the Disk, the dark clouds that had been creeping towards him faded instantly. A large column of light shot up from the ground in front of Kintaro. A tall armored knight knelt in front of him. It had diamond like armor all over its body, except for its head. He had a large horned silver helmet with a tall red mane. Golden hair flowed from his head like a river. The Paladin then bowed its head to Kintaro and then stood up and turned to Chi.

"Behold my ultimate being, The White Paladin. His holy blade will smite all those before him."

Light/Warrior/Effect  
2500/2400

"Next, I'll play the other card I drew, Monster Reborn! I'll use it to revive my Goblin Attack Force!" Kintaro said as he laid down the spell card.

An ankh appeared and shattered into a thousand pieces and reformed into Goblin Attack Force. Chi stared in amazement as the humungous man's stare pierced her cold eyes.

"I'll then activate my White knight's effect and tribute my Despair From The Dark and pay LP until I have only 1000, to destroy all Dark monsters on the field and inflict LP damage equal to their attack points!" Kintaro shouted as he commanded his knight. "It also allows me to destroy all other cards on your field as well!"

The Knight withdrew his massive white blade from the sheath on his back and gripped it with both hands. First, the paladin slashed Despair From The Dark with his sword, which caused the creature to be absorbed into his blade. The paladin then raised his sword in the air and the light that shot out of it pierced the clouds like butter. The light then arched back down and exploded like a bomb on Chi's side of the field.

K 1000 - C 4800

With Pandemonium destroyed, the sky shown blue once again, and the paladin now glowed a bright white in the sun's rays.

"Attack Goblins!" Kintaro shouted.

K 1000 - C 2500

"And my White Paladin, finish her off! SWORD OF CREATION!" Kintaro screamed.

Kintaro watched in much satisfaction as the White Paladin ran across the rooftop and jammed his sword into Chi's chest. The shock from the Disk was immense. Chi fell straight to the ground, motionless. The Duel Disks on both duelists retracted.

K 1000 - C 0000  
W - Kintaro Kaiba (2-0) L - Chi McCabe (4-0) 

Kintaro could hear cheers from below. _People watch on the streets must have seen the victory._ Yet another Kaiba innovation was large plasma TV's around the city to show hot-ticket duels. Kintaro had never been anymore angry than he had been before. Whenever someone had dishonored his father's name, he broke out in anger. It had happened before in elementary school when he punched his classmate. Sometimes it scared him, but he seemed to enjoy it.

"I'll be taking this." Kintaro said as he emptied her entire bag of credits into his.

"That makes eighteen credits total." Kintaro said to himself.

The Telecopter had left already. Then Kintaro saw her deck. _Let's see how hot you are without this._ Kintaro leaned over once more and picked up her deck. He looked at it and grew an evil grin. Walking to the edge of the roof, Kintaro saw a crowd at the base of the mall. Numerous duelists cheered and yelled his name.

"I hope they enjoy my gift to them," Kintaro said evilly.

He then placed the deck in his right hand and threw as hard as he could. Cards spread like a cloud of confetti and sprinkled down upon the crowd. Several people fought over a few cards. Kintaro was pleased to see that almost all the cards were gone in a matter of minutes.

"Well, what to do with these," Kintaro said. He stared at the Mazzera DeVille, Warrior of Zera, and Pandemonium. There were only three hundred DeVille cards in circulation, which makes them very rare. _It probably took her awhile to make this deck._

"I think I'll stick to my new road. After all, I'll need to be aggressive to make a decent comeback. I guess the demon has been unleashed," Kintaro said.

He was his normal gritty self again. Not just the washed up loser he had been. Kintaro reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. He lit the cards on fire and dropped them on the ground. The beast in him had awakened and he loved it.


	6. Kintaro Reborn! Part 6

Kintaro walked casually into the mall, being flooded by people who had seen his duel. He had been popular during his older dueling days. Kintaro didn't care much for popularity, but he didn't mind the group of girls following far behind. _Yeah, but after Chi, I think I'll stay off the relationship train for a bit._ Kintaro then realized that he should check the standings. There was always a Duel Computer wherever cards were sold. The computer could offer you simulated duels and stats on any tournaments.

Now that the hype of his duel had settled, Kintaro could enjoy his stroll through the mall. He spotted a game store. He walked in and pulled out his ID card and slid it through the reader on the silver computer terminal.

"WELCOME . . . . KINTARO AKECHI" The computer screen read. He didn't put his last name in his application because Kintaro hated Kaiba. Kintaro used the little wireless mouse to scroll the names and their ranks.

**1. Kaiba - 88 credits  
2. Grinnex Xavier The 9th - 64 credits  
3. Masamune Baba - 42 credits  
4. Dante "Shadow" Halter - 28 credits  
5. Kintaro Akechi - 18 credits  
6. Ryou Bakura - 17 credits  
7. Chi McCabe - 15 credits  
8. Joey Wheeler - 12 credits  
9. Rebecca Hawkins - 10 credits  
10. Bandit Keith - 9 credits**

Several names caught his attention. _Kaiba at the top, what else is new? Masamune? You piece of rat crap, I'll get you. Hmm, Chi still is in the running? She didn't have another deck with her. Grinnex? What a name._ Kintaro laughed as he thought to himself. Kintaro almost didn't notice that he was in 5th. After printing out the sheet, Kintaro looked around the card store a little more.

The walk around the card store kind of disappointed him. There weren't many of the new cards he wanted. Then he saw a poster. "New Card Tins Coming Next Month!" A picture showed several cards never before released. _Not bad._

"Hey, you're Kintaro!" A little voice from behind him said.

Kintaro spun around and saw a pint sized little girl with a teddy bear . . . and a duel disk.

"Aren't you a little young to be wearing one of those?" Kintaro said.

"I only look small but my talent is great. I challenge you to a duel!" She shrieked. 

"Only if you bet all of your credits young lady," Kintaro said mockingly as he took a sip of his cola.

"Don't you underestimate me! I'll have you know that I beat Yugi Moto! Who at the current time is world champion!" Rebecca bragged.

"Heh, so you're that brat who smacked around Yugi several years ago. He should have defeated you. Apparently, the lesson he tried to teach you didn't work. You're still a little snot-nosed punk." Kintaro said as he started to walk away.

"So you're just too chicken to take me on, aren't you?" Rebecca said.

"No I just have better ways to waste my time. Now go play with that doll of yours and leave me alone." Kintaro said. He could feel that same anger that he emptied on Chi filling up again.

"Just because some evil lady almost beat you doesn't give you the right to be such an anti-feminist," Rebecca yelled.

Still walking, Kintaro almost laughed. Instead, it turned into more of an evil growl. He felt his body growing cold and his head burning. He turned and looked at Rebecca, who seemed scared at his new gnarled looking face.

"Making faces isn't going to scare me!" She said sticking up her nose.

_What's happening to me?_

"Then let's duel!" he said in a lower, crueler tone.

**Kintaro Akechi (5) Vs. Rebecca Hawkins (9)**

The two were now standing on an elevated platform above the main hall in the mall. People started gathering, waiting for the heartthrob Kintaro Akechi to duel.

_Wh . . Wh . . . What's . . . happening to my body . . ._

"I'm going to wager all nine of my credits. You?" She said.

"I'll wager nine of mine as well, of course, I have more where that came from." Kintaro said.

"Wee! I draw first! Hmm . . . I play one card facedown and I'll summon Black Forest Witch!" Rebecca said. "And I'll end my turn."

A tall, robed, and purple haired woman appeared on the field with a shriek.

"How pathetic. I'll activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your facedown trap." Kintaro hissed.

A pair of cylinders appeared and were destroyed by a single strike of lightning.

"How did you know I had a trap?" Rebecca screamed.

"A hunch. Next I'll summon Particle Beam Cannon!" Kintaro shouted.

A small little man resembling Magical Scientist appeared. He then swung his finger and a large machine fell next to him. It was a small computer connected to a massive generator and a large metallic cannon on top.

**  
0/1500  
Dark/Machine/Effect**

"This is one of my secret weapons. See, I can pay 900 LP to select and remove one monster on the field from the game. And I choose your Witch!" Kintaro said as he grinned evilly.

The cannon charged up and fired. The blue beam instantly incinerated the woman in purple robes. She didn't even have enough time to scream.

**K-7100 R-8000**

"HAHAHA! How does it feel? Next I'll set two cards and end my turn." Kintaro finished.

"Hmm . . . I'll play Fissure! Say goodbye to that hunk of metal!" Rebecca laughed.

The ground in front of Rebecca then cracked open and the fissure started heading for the Particle Cannon. As soon as it would hit it, a tall king in purple robes arose from the ground and held out his jewel-encrusted hand. The fissure halted and disappeared.

"What?" Rebecca said.

"Imperial Order, it negates all magic you play." Kintaro said.

"Then I'll just have to destroy it myself. I summon Dunames Dark Witch! Attack the Particle Cannon!" Rebecca yelled.

An angelic woman manifested on the field and spun her scepter. A beam of light then shot out straight towards Kintaro's machine. At the very same moment, the little scientist waved his hands again and the cannon grew larger. As the beam of light approached, the cannon shot it's own beam. The blue particle beam blew straight threw the light beam and blew Dunames Dark Witch to pieces.

**K-7100 R-7600**

"I activated the trap card Weapon Upgrade! It allows me to special summon my Particle Cannon Lv.4 from my deck by tributing the cannon I had. "

**Particle Cannon Lv.4**

2200/200  
Dark/Machine/Effect

"Since when is this your strategy? I thought you played warriors now?" Rebecca asked.

"So is that how you challenge your opponents? Try to scrape up everything you can about them and then challenge them? Don't you have any guts? That's a slow way to gain momentum in this dueling environment." Kintaro explained.

"I set one card and end my turn." Rebecca said.

Kintaro drew a card and stared at his hand for a moment.

"I play Monster Reborn on my Particle Cannon! Then I tribute it for Android Psycho Shocker!" Kintaro yelled.

As soon as the cannon reappeared, it dissipated into a thousand pieces and formed into a monstrosity beyond comprehension. It was a tall mechanical man with his pulsating brain being the only flesh on his body. He wore a long green robe and studded vest.

"Next, I'll play my Limiter Removal card! It doubles the attack power of all machines of the field!" Kintaro laughed.

Jinzo - 4800 Particle Cannon Lv.4 - 4400

"Attack, my creatures, to end the game!" Kintaro yelled.

In two flashes of red and blue light Rebecca was on her knees, trying not to fall over.

**K - 7100 R - 0 Kintaro Wins**

"Happy? You little twit. You're eliminated. Now give me your credits!" Kintaro said grimly.

She looked up at him almost crying and emptied her bag into his._ W-w-wake . . .up . . . wh-what's . . . happening?_

"Now have you learned not to pick fights you can't win?" Kintaro asked her.

_How did I lose so fast? I couldn't even muster a decent defense?_ Rebecca thought as she saw her possibilities of tournament glory swirl down the drain of defeat.

"Hahaha. See you are short stack." Kintaro chuckled.

People stared at Kintaro like he was a deformed menace to society. _G-get out . . . of my . . body!_ Kintaro screamed from the inside. Just then, he fell over. In the wink of an eye, Kintaro could control his body again. _What the heck was that?_ He remembered what he had just done, but he couldn't control any of it. He felt like he had been watching a movie.

"Kin I have yowr ottogwaph?" A little boy said behind handing Kintaro his card binder.

"Don't talk to him Gerald. How dare you pick on little children like that! You are a terrible man!" A short woman said as her other little sons looked on.

The one with the binder just stared between his mother and Kintaro. Kintaro had a choice. He could hold the image he had just created, or he could just play it cool and leave.

"Well ma'am, I don't back down from a challenge. Little or large it doesn't matter. If that little girl was so stupid as to challenge a former champion, then she knew what she was getting into. So keep your fat friggin' nose out of my business you soccer mom nazi!" Kintaro said harshly to the woman's square face as he looked down at the kid once more, and walked away. The mother stared in amazement.

_So maybe I was a little tough on her. Who cares?_ Kintaro thought as he looked for a real challenge. He decided instead that he would look at his deck once more.

It had the White Paladin (which was a big breath of relief for Kintaro) and a few other warriors he had placed in there, but now there were machine monsters. _When I wasn't in control of my body, the "it" controlling it must have altered my deck._

As Kintaro left the town center to go home, he decided to take a shortcut and walk through an alleyway. He walked down the path quietly. He stroked the small knife that resided in his pocket. Even the outer city can be as dangerous as the inner, Kintaro knew that much. As he reached the end of it, a shadow stood in his path. "What do you want?" Kintaro barked.

The shadow looked at him with its narrow white eyes and began to say something in another language. The sword pendant around Kintaro's neck now glowed a bright yellow.

"What the heck do you want already?" Kintaro yelled.

"I bet you don't know what that sword does, do you? Or better yet, do you know what it is?" The shadow said.

"Tell me who you are and then I'll consider talking to you." Kintaro said smoothly.

"Just call me Shadow." Shadow said.

"Heh, so you're Dante Halter. How goes the dueling?" Kintaro said.

"Please, just Shadow. I've appeared to you in hopes of achieving a greater goal than you could ever imagine." Shadow spoke.

"Yeah, that's real cute and all but I've got to go home and get sleep before you put me to sleep." Kintaro said.

"So tell me, how powerful has the spirit in that sword?" Shadow said.

Kintaro paused. He had been turning around to go down another street.

"What spirit?" Kintaro said.

"The spirit that lives in your pendant is a very important one. In that sword lies the spirit of the Berserker." Shadow said.

"I'll listen as long as you tell me how you know all this." Kintaro said folding his arms.

Shadow stepped out of the darkness of the rooftop under which he stood. He was very plain. A black ninja's garb and only the upper half of his face showing.

"I am a guardian, a member of a clan that has been watching over great events since the beginning of time. I dedicate my life to making sure that only the light shall prevail." Shadow said.

"If you're a pure soul, then why do you dress in the garbs of the shadows . . . Shadow?" Kintaro said sarcastically.

"I shroud myself in darkness to learn about my enemy and become him. That way I can always be one step ahead. Anyways, the Berserker was the Pharaoh's sole guardian. He went with the pharaoh everywhere until the day of his death. However, he promised, even in death, that he would continue to protect the pharaoh. The spirit is a very rough and tough soldier. He will stop at nothing to find the pharaoh, just so he can stand by his side once more." Shadow said.

"Alright, keep going." Kintaro said now leaning on the alleyway wall.

"Then the day came when the evil sorcerer challenged the Pharaoh to a dark game of Duel Monsters. The Berserker stood in the sorcerer's way, and was defeated. Even though he almost stopped him with his own monsters. The Berserker has slept in that pendant ever since, awaiting for the moment in which the pharaoh needs him again." Shadow finished.

"Then that guy is going to be asleep for a long time because there's no chance that that pharaoh is still alive." Kintaro replied.

"The pharaoh also lives on as a spirit. He lives in the millennium puzzle that Yugi Moto wears. It is my belief that Yugi is in some sort of danger and is what has awakened the spirit of the Berserker Sword. It is your destiny to help and protect Yugi Moto." Shadow said.

"Heh, Moto has that goon Wheeler as his shield. I don't need to bother that kid." Kintaro said sharply.

"You just don't want to be someone's lower. Like everyone else in your family, you have to be number one." Shadow said.

"Maybe. However, I don't see what could be the problem. If it will make you sleep easier, I'll try and find Yugi. Only if he needs it, will I help him. Otherwise, I'm going to duel that shrimp and win." Kintaro said as he pointed to Shadow.

"Before you go, I must share some advice with you. Make friends with that spirit of yours. He should be seen as your companion, not your enemy. Because if he became an enemy to you, your life would surely end. He could eat you from the inside." Shadow said.

"So what's stopping him?" Kintaro said coldly.

". . . I'm not sure." Shadow said, now unsure of himself.

"Well if this crap is true, then he sees me as useful. I'm tired; this talk has been long enough. Tomorrow I'll find Yugi, and I'll keep an eye on him. But only for a little while. I can't play babysitter for the entire IDC season. See you later freak." Kintaro said walking past Shadow.

". . . The pendant chose its owner wisely. I sensed no break in his courage or spirit. He will save the Pharaoh." Shadow said.

"Can you be sure? He is a powerful duelist, but he is unsure of himself. The only way he can be convinced is through his own acceptance." A female voice said from behind where Kintaro once stood.

"I was pretty sure that I awoke the spirit in him. Are you sure the Pharaoh is in danger? My Shield of Mind doesn't warn me of any coming danger." She said as she stroked the tiny shield on her necklace.

"I haven't felt anything either. That's because the gods favor Kintaro and his strength. We won't need to interfere this time. Not yet." Shadow finished.


	7. Kintaro Reborn! Part 7

Kintaro didn't know what to do. As he lied in bed, he thought of the sword on his neck. _Did dad even know about this?_ The thoughts in his head ran like a river rushing towards a waterfall. Each thought passing rapidly and in a blur. Soon, each thought fell far down. Down into the pool where the waterfall ended, the deepest recesses of Kintaro's mind.

_So I'm destined to protect Yugi. Damnit, why does the world revolve around that kid? Pegasus, Kaiba, the millennium ring, Marik and his plans for world destruction. All of these connected to little Yugi. He stopped each one of 'em._

Shutting himself up, Kintaro walked out of his tiny room and into the kitchen. Pouring himself a glass of whiskey, he walked into the slightly larger living room. The jungle of comic books, clothes, and other assorted objects still covered the floor. Looking up at the clock, little and big hands resting on the twelve, Kintaro knew this would be another long night. Flipping through the channels, he thought to himself again.

_It doesn't seem all that illogical. I mean the White Paladin himself is a card depicting the most loyal servant in Duel Monsters. If this card is my signature, could it be tied to my destiny as a protector myself?_

"Kintaro Akechi made his force known today as he defeated two Top 10 ranked duelists. Chi McCabe and Rebecca Hawkins. Each felt drastic losses, but Ms. Hawkins lost all her credits and thus was eliminated from this season of the IDC. Kintaro Akechi was a renowned duelist in his four years in the Tiger League. He won all years he participated with extreme ease." The announcer on the DNN (Duelists National Network) said.

The female reporter's soft voice was putting Kintaro to sleep. He downed one more shot and stared at the TV harder than before as he saw the duel between him and Chi.

"Kintaro also showed his ferocious side when he finished Chi McCabe with a devastating blow. She summoned her most powerful card, the Mazzera DeVille, and wiped out his hand. In the process, she unleashed Kintaro's Despair from the Dark, preventing a clean shot at his life points. After this, Kintaro unleashed a fury as he reborned a creature and summoned his mighty White Paladin, one of the rarest cards in the world. The White Paladin is an artifact rare, only three in the world, even though it's ranked 6th on the Kaiba Corps. Rarity Graph. Kintaro's is thought to be the only one in circulation as the other two have never been found."

Kintaro stared in amazement as he saw the fiery red glow in his eyes as he commanded the white knight to strike down Chi. _Damn_, Kintaro thought. As he watched the remaining moments of the duel, he dozed off.

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
"He lives in this dump? It's an apartment! He's a Kaiba!" The first voice said.

"Keep it down, you don't want to wake him up." The second and deeper voice said.

Carefully picking the lock open on the door, the two shadowy figures slowly stepped into the room. As if on thin ice, the two men slid quietly and serenely across the disastrous floor.

"I think that's him on the couch." The second voice whispered deeply.

He pointed to the recliner in front of the TV. A snoring Kintaro Akechi didn't stir as the two intruders snooped around.

"Find it. We need it no matter what the cost. His deck would also be a nice pick-up." The first voice said.

As they looked around the kitchen, they found nothing but Ramen noodle cups and a sink full of dirty dishes. The second shadow motioned to the first one to go towards Kintaro's room. As they opened the first door, they only found a bathroom. The next door opened and unleashed a wave of cologne-infected air. A small mattress on the floor and a desk with a state-of-the-art laptop computer.

"Look everywhere. We need it." The second voice said.

". . . Hey Sphinx!" The first one said as he poked the second man.

"Shut up Karl!" Sphinx said in his low voice.

"But Kintaro-"

"Kintaro is our obstacle. Be quiet and we'll leap right over him." Sphinx interrupted Karl.

"Because Karl, if he wakes up -"

SMACK!POW!SMACK!THUD!

In three seconds, both of the men were on the ground. Kintaro stood over both of them.

"Ass rats. I'll teach you two to come into my house." Kintaro said.

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
The morning was busy. The month was halfway over. Kintaro know had on his black, long-sleeved, under armor. He still wore his deep blue denim jeans. It kept him cool on hot days like today. Sliding on his duel disk and placing his deck in the placeholder, Kintaro cracked his knuckles and walked to his car in front of the apartment. It wasn't a great day for walking like he had been the past couple of days. Kintaro had a nice set of wheels. An old Corvette his dad left him. He started the car and let the hum of the engine sooth his tension.

The two goons that broke into Kintaro's house had been looking for his Pendant. After 'dealing' with them, Kintaro had found out that they were working for a man named Makeel Grudok. Grudok was an evil man. Suspected in several murders but never convicted. _What would he need with my spirit?_

How are you Kintaro?

_What the hell . . . are you my sword's spirit?_

Yes, I am simply known as Berserker. The man you seek has a connection somehow to the past. Be careful when looking for him.

_I have a question. Did you -_

Questions waste time. I'll answer everything after we find Grudok. It's imperative that we find him and learn of why he needs me so bad.

_Fine, fine. Don't freak out on me._

The day went very slow. The heat poured onto the city like a thick fog. The search hadn't been going very well either.  
A few duels and Kintaro was now up to 4th place.

**1. Kaiba - 90 credits  
2. Grinnex Xavier The 9th - 66 credits  
3. Masamune Baba - 49 credits  
4. Kintaro Akechi - 38 credits  
5. Dante "Shadow" Halter - 30 credits  
6. Bakura Ryou - 25 credits  
7. Chi McCabe - 24 credits  
8. Joey Wheeler - 21 credits  
9. Bandit Keith - 19 credits  
10. Makeel Grudok - 18 **

"I need some concrete evidence and I have no other places to look." Kintaro said to himself as he cruised down the streets, looking for duels and suspicious Janes and Joes. Pulling up to a brightly colored shop, Kintaro parked and yawned.

"Hey buddy, how 'bout a duel?" A tall guy in a black suit said.

". . . Have we met before?" Kintaro said staring up at the man.

"Forgive me. I am Dennis Quigley. I have been looking for a worthy dueling opponent. After I saw the rankings, I figured there was nobody else I should challenge but a Kaiba family member." He said professionally.

Stepping out of his car and looking at the challenger more clearly, Kintaro was kind of surprised. He was wearing a business suit with a black tie. He also had thin-rimmed glasses, classy shoes, and a clean face under smooth black hair. About the same height as Kintaro, he smiled faintly and stuck out his hand. Kintaro stared in a little disbelief, but reluctantly shook. 

"If you want to duel, meet me two blocks down at the White Rose. We can duel in their arena. See you there." The man said as he handed Kintaro a card.

"Wait, that restaurant has a . . . dueling arena?" Kintaro said as he paused.

Dennis had disappeared just as quickly as he had shown up.

"What a quack." Kintaro said.

The White Rose was a very high-class restaurant. Kintaro would never of had the faintest idea that they had a dueling arena. _That guy must be a real high roller to be getting us a place like that._

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
The lobby of the White Rose was just as he expected. Kintaro had thrown on his dark gray vest to hold his deck (and a few surprises in case he got jumped). Looking at the card he had received, the host walked up to him.

"Ah, mister . . . Akechi. Right this way. Mr. Quigley has arranged for you two to duel." The stout old man said as he guided Kintaro around several tables where many wealthy folk sat talking about their ideas for world domination.

"Here's your venue, Mr. Quigley will be here shortly. Enjoy your duel." The host said as he walked Kintaro towards a metal door in back of the kitchen.

Opening the door, Kintaro saw a long, downward staircase. As he reached the door about fifty feet later, he felt the handle and opened the door.

A large dome was now in front of him. There were two stations on either side of the circle. Dueling stations. Two podiums on either side with slots for cards. _A state-of-the-art Kaiba model, how fitting._

"Welcome Kintaro. I trust you weren't kept too long." Dennis said as he approached from a door on the other side. He still wore the same business suit.

"Let us get started. First off, I am here to kill you. Secondly, I want that Sword of yours." Dennis said now more serious.

"I figured there was more to you than what meets the eye." Kintaro said as he walked to the podium and placed his deck in the empty spot. He had left his duel disk in his car. He figured that the arena would have it's own system.

The doors both locked and slammed into place as the holographic lights around the dueling area lit up. Both podiums slid out towards each other and each settled into an empty square space inside the circle (opposite each other and as far out of the center of the circle as they could).

"Now this is the way the duel works. See the ground below the podiums? It will soon disappear and fill with a shadowy liquid. This liquid will sap the energy straight out of you. The more life point damage you take, the farther you sink in. Once your life points reach zero, you're banished to the shadow realm where your soul will be torn into a thousand pieces and spread throughout darkness!" Dennis said, as his voice was now fierce and gruesome.

"Answer me this. Do you work for Grudok?" Kintaro said staring at the dark liquid filling the pool below them.

"Very perceptive. Yes I do and he'll be glad when I finish you off!" Dennis said placing his deck as well.

"Good, because I wanted to send that scum ball a message. So I'll pound it into you so you can deliver it. Oh wait, never mind. You'll be dead by the time I'm done with you!" Kintaro said feeling the adrenaline tickle his body.

**Kintaro Akechi Vs. Dennis Quigley**

"I'll wager fifteen credits. How about you?" Dennis said.

"Sounds good. Let's get rolling." Kintaro said as he drew his hand, as did Dennis.

"Since I am the host, I'll play first. I activate Poison of the Old Man! You take 1200 points of damage!"

K - 6800 D- 8000

_Damnit, he's got to have a burner deck._ Kintaro's podium sunk a little bit and the liquid almost touched his feet.

"Next, I'll play two cards facedown as well as Bowganian in attack mode! The end is near, you cannot stop me!" Dennis said as he ended his turn.

After drawing, Kintaro said, "I will play Harpie's Feather Duster!"

"I activate my trap card, Magic Sickness! I can discard a card from my hand to negate your magic and deal 500 points of damage to your life points!" Dennis said.

K - 6300 D - 8000

Kintaro felt the liquid eagerly reaching for his feet. Kintaro was too close now.

"Fine, I'll set one of my own and Blood Vorse in attack mode! Attack Bowganian!" Kintaro yelled.

"I activate Gravity Bind! Ha! You're powerhouse monsters are of no use to you anymore!" Dennis said.

Ending his turn reluctantly, Kintaro watched Dennis.

"I'll draw and let Bowganian's effect take place. You lose 600 life points!" Dennis said.

The little crossbow-wielding machine shot a bolt at Kintaro who felt the first touch of the goo below him.

K - 5700 D- 8000

The sensation was terrible. Kintaro felt weak. But not weak enough.

"Next I'll play another Poison of the Old Man! Reducing your life points again!" Dennis said grinning evilly.

The little old man appeared again and threw a green tube at Kintaro, which shattered into an acidic mist.

K - 4500 D - 8000

"DAMNIT!" Kintaro yelled as the liquid reached his knees.

"Face it, you're finished! I will watch you die here! Hahaha!" Dennis laughed maniacally.


	8. Kintaro Reborn! Part 8

Kintaro was stunned. The liquid did not give Kintaro any kind of pain. It was a cold sensation. He felt weaker and weaker every second. The ooze clung to his legs so tight that it felt like his legs would snap.

"HAHAHAHAHA! Let's see the infamous Kintaro Akechi escape this one! The darkness will constrict and distort you in ways never thought humanly possible! The end is near!" Dennis laughed.

Kintaro, you're getting your ass handed to you on a silver platter and only two turns have gone by. Let me help. I have a good strategy for this The Berserker said to Kintaro.

_All right, help me out._

Dennis stared in amazement as the sword pendant glowed bright yellow. The light blinded him for a quick moment and then he stared at a different Kintaro. His short black hair had grown down to his shoulders. His eyes were now fierce and had a fiery red glow.

"DENNIS! Prepare to meet the devil because I intend to end this duel right now!" The now spiritually infused Kintaro said in his much more royal sounding voice.

_Exactly what's your master plan?_ Kintaro said in his mind.

When you released me a little while back, I placed several cards into your deck. I foresaw this duel and planned ahead. And as for your first question, yes. I saved you from drowning, but don't start thinking you're invincible.

"I'll draw." Kintaro said.

_What is that card?_ Kintaro thought.

It's my way around this duel. Just watch.

"I'll set one more card facedown. Next I'll summon Mataza the Zapper! Then I'll equip him with Axe of Despair! Attack his Bowganian!" Kintaro shouted.

A small samurai appeared. He quickly put his Katana away and grabbed the heavy axe that appeared in front of him. He ran at the little machine that fired his bow. As the bow approached the warrior, he deflected it with his axe and slashed the robot to pieces.

K - 4500 D - 7000

"Mataza can attack again with his special ability! Attack again!" Kintaro shouted!

K - 4500 D - 4700

"AHHH!" Dennis screeched as the liquid reached his ankles as well.

"How does it feel? Comfortable?" Said Kintaro as if the liquid around his legs wasn't even damaging him.

"Enough! I draw my next card." Dennis said, now annoyed.

"I'll set one monster facedown and end my turn." Dennis said confidently.

"Then I'll draw one card. Attack Mataza!" Kintaro shouted.

The samurai ran at the facedown, which soon revealed itself. A little jar with an evil grin inside manifested itself onto the field. Soon it was sliced and diced by the warrior into a thousand pieces.

"Because you've attacked my Morphing Jar, we each have to discard our hands and draw five new cards!" Dennis said smiling.

Drawing the cards, Kintaro laughed.

"Do you realize what you've done? I hope you have nothing to live for or regret, because I'm about to finish you off! Sealing you in an eternal darkness forever!" Kintaro laughed hysterically.

"I play one monster facedown and one more magic or trap card facedown. I'll end my turn." Kintaro said very eagerly.

"I'll draw. Hm . . . I'll play Wave Motion Cannon! In just a few turns, it will have enough power to blow you and you miserable life away! I'll then set one monster and end my turn." Quigley finished.

Kintaro drew.

He's falling right into the trap I set for him. He thinks he's won.

_How did you foresee this duel?_

My third eye is a bit weak, but it works. I had to see what was coming in order to protect the pharaoh.

_That makes sense._

"I'll summon Marauding Captain and use his ability to summon another Mataza the Zapper"

"Now you die. I equip Mataza with United We Stand!"

Mataza The Zapper

Warrior/effect  
3700/800

"How does it feel to stare into defeat itself and taste the bitter end of your life? HAHAHAHAHA!" Kintaro laughed maniacally.

Dennis stayed calm.

"Attack Mataza!" Kintaro shouted.

The weaker Mataza charged and swung his sword. A small purple reaper appeared on the field. After being attacked, it reformed again.

"HAHAHA! Spirit Reaper cannot be destroyed in battle! My stall will keep you honest until I can blast you away with my cannon!"

"I end my turn." Kintaro said smiling.

_You could have destroyed his Wave Motion Cannon! What the hell is the matter with you, you idiot!_

Call me what you want. It will win us this duel.

"Now the end is here! My cannon raises its power to 1000! Now I'll play my ultimate quick play spell card! Time Magic! I can pay any amount of my life points I want, and for every thousand, I can increase the turn count on one card! I will pay 4000 of my life points to speed up time five turns and raise my cannon's power to 5000! Wave Motion Cannon, detonate and end this miserable life that is Kintaro Akechi!" Dennis yelled.

K - 4500 D - 700

"Why aren't you sinking any farther?" Kintaro said frustrated.

"Because that was a pay, not life point damage. Not to mention I can control the platforms from here! HAHAHA! You didn't think I would actually run a chance of losing? I am a very noble and upstanding socialite. I can't be losing to some pathetic young man who cannot even succeed in life." Dennis laughed.

_Damned cheater. What the hell happens now, Mr. All-powerful?_

Just watch.

"FIRE! WAVE MOTION CANNON!" Dennis said as the veins in his head and neck bulged out.

As the pot shaped cannon charged itself up, Kintaro's spirit took over and smiled. The cannon fired at Kintaro. After a large explosion and a large billow of smoke engulfing the field, Dennis laughed hysterically.

"HAHAHAHAHA! You miserable twit! Activate Devil's Reflection! This card negates any life point damage I would take from one of your cards and redirects it to you for the cost of one tribute. I tribute my Mataza The Zapper! NOW DIE!" Kintaro's face contorted and bulged as the spirit went insane with laughter.

The real Kintaro, from inside his own mind, noticed that the goo that was just around his legs was now staying away. _Can this be possible? The shadows have a fear? Maybe the Berserker is a pure soul._

After the smoke had cleared, Dennis saw the Mataza the Zapper on Kintaro's side of the field standing with a large energy ball held in it's hands. 

"The Devil's Reflection possesses my creature and sends him straight at you!"

Mataza looked up at Dennis and smiled grimly. It's face was now twisted and evil. The eyes glowed a devilish yellow and his armor grew horns. Mataza ran full speed at Dennis and threw the energy ball.

"AHHHHHH!" Dennis screamed as he fell down onto the platform on which he once stood.

**K - 4500 D - 0 : Kintaro Wins**

"AHHAHAHA!HAHAHAHAHA!" Kintaro laughed even more.

Using his powers, the spirit lifted Dennis into the air and dropped him into the pool. Dennis's body sunk slowly and Dennis screamed. It had to be one of the worst sounds Kintaro ever heard.

_What's with all the laughing? Calm down you psycho!_

C'mon Kintaro, I'm having a little fun!

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
A small female figure sat on a rooftop. She was calm. Quickly stirring, she stared out to the city in horror.

"What's wrong?' Shadow said.

"I sensed it. Chaos. He's here." the female said.

"I see. Then let's go to work, Chi."

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
Kintaro sat in his car. Listening to his favorite songs, he stared at the pendant, now dangling from his overhead mirror. _If the Berserker is supposed to be pure, why was he so vicious and evil? I was afraid he was going kill me too._ He shrugged off the thought and drove away.

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
"Sir, we have some very interesting news. The ancient creature of destruction has been sensed." A hooded figure said as he bowed to another. The other hooded figure had spiked shoulder armor and a much larger robe. He stared into the darkness of the city from the large window on the fifty-first floor.

"So, Chaos has been resurrected. Things may have occurred differently than we wanted. Let's go meet with him." The taller cloaked man said.

"Yes sir, Mr. Samanosuke." The other said, still bowing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------  
Ishizu stood next to a large statue in the darkened park. Nightfall had come swiftly.

"So the end is near. I did not foresee this. I must get help, the world is in grave danger once again, and I don't know what to do." Ishizu said looking worried.

"Ishizu," A voice said from behind her.

"Shadii! I'm glad you've come." Ishizu said.

"I have some bad news, and more bad news." Shadii said.

Ishizu stared at him with anticipation.

"The pharaoh is now where in the city, and furthermore, I cannot sense him anywhere in this world." Shadii said closing his eyes.

Ishizu stared into the stars. A tear fell down her cheek.

"The pharaoh has fallen? But I haven't foreseen any of these events! Someone has tempered with the very fabric of time. And if this gets out of hand, the entire universe will collapse." Ishizu said.

"It will forever be plunged into everlasting darkness. The pharaoh was our last hope. The god cards have been sealed and all hope is lost." Shadii said.

"This cannot be, we must find the pharaoh. He cannot be gone, I can sense his Yami. He is our last hope." Ishizu said.

"We have failed. This is just what we feared. We are living in chaos." Shadii finished.


End file.
